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Our Telemedicine team designs, develops, and executes strategies that use electronic and telecommunications technologies to improve access to care and outcomes for children throughout the region, the nation, and the world.

The telemedicine program serves community hospitals, suburban health centers, inner-city health clinics, national hospitals, and international partners across a wide range of pediatric subspecialties including neurology, genetics, radiology, and general surgery 21 states and 19 countries on five continents. Distance learning initiatives occur locally, regionally, nationally, and in many countries throughout the world, including Germany, Morocco, Uganda, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. The team provides more than 1,000 consultations per year.

Worldwide Partnerships

In partnership with the Children's Hospital in Rabat, Morocco, a new program emphasizes improving education, technology, and healthcare staffing, to improve the level of health care for children available in North Africa. This initiative, supported by the Mosaic Foundation, has given local physicians in Morocco access to content including live video lectures by Children's staff members.

In collaboration with the Quincy Jones Foundation, telemedicine has been used to support inner-city youth programs.

Children’s National also supports community hospitals with telemedicine consultations for specialties such as urology, genetics, neonatology, and general surgery.

Clinical Programs

Clinical Versatility with a Global Reach

Our Telemedicine team is often called upon to assess the echocardiograms of newborns with suspected congenital heart disease. Craig Sable, MD, Director of Telemedicine and Director of Echocardiography at Children’s National, and colleagues routinely offer cardiology telemedicine services across borders, including in Uganda and Morocco.

Neurologists, the second most frequent users, review patients’ electroencephalograms from several partner hospitals to identify causes of seizures or other neurologic problems. Roger Packer, MD, Senior Vice President of the Center for Neurosciences and Behavioral Medicine conducts monthly tumor boards for referring institutions. Neurologists also perform weekly telemedicine examinations of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Fujairah in the UAE.

The Division of Genetics and Metabolism uses telemedicine to help care for patients from University of Mississippi Medical Center who were diagnosed with inborn errors of metabolism. Using an iPad, pediatric geneticist Brian Kirmse, MD, works with a nurse practitioner and a metabolic dietitian in Mississippi to formulate treatment plans and manage positive newborn screens.